Stem Cell Transplant Program
The Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Pennsylvania
Hospital offers patients and their families excellence
in clinical and supportive care. Stem cell transplantation
is a treatment for patients with cancer who have
not responded to standard chemotherapy and/or
radiation treatment. While high dose therapy
is designed to destroy cancer cells, healthy
cells may also be affected.
Stem cell transplantation
replaces stem cells that are destroyed during
treatment making it possible for these patients
to receive higher doses of chemotherapy and/or
radiation therapy in an attempt to improve outcomes.
About the Program
The Stem Cell Transplant program
at Pennsylvania Hospital is one of the few multidisciplinary
programs of its kind. Using a patient-centered
approach, the program offers medical care and
emotional support for you and your family.
Led
by Patricia
Ford, MD, a multidisciplinary team of doctors,
nurses and other health care professionals will
meet regularly to discuss your case and develop
the best treatment options for you.
Bloodless Stem Cell Transplants
We also offer
bloodless stem
cell transplant for those who
refuse blood products for religious or other
reasons. In fact, the Center
for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at the
Karnell Cancer Center is the only center of its
kind in the region that offers this option. High-dose
chemotherapy with stem cell transplant can be
used to treat a variety of malignancies, including
multiple myeloma and lymphoma (both Hodgkin's
disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma).
The process
involves administering exceptionally large does
of chemotherapy or radiation that would normally
destroy healthy cells and bone marrow. To overcome
this side effect, Pennsylvania Hospital doctors
remove some of your stem cells (which produce
the body's blood cells) prior to the high-dose
chemotherapy. Once collected, these blood-forming
cells are frozen until the high-dose chemotherapy
is completed. Then the stem cells are re-infused
into the patient.
The
Multidisciplinary Team
Throughout your time with us, we encourage you
to ask any questions you may have. Your multidisciplinary
team includes doctors, an outpatient nurse, an
inpatient nurse, social worker, physical therapist,
dietician, pharmacist, and stem cell lab technologists.
All of these people have experience specific
to your cancer and are an excellent source of
information for you.
During your first visit you
will be evaluated by Patricia
Ford, MD, the head of our Stem Cell Transplant
team. During this "intake session," you
and your family will have the opportunity to
meet all the members of the stem cell team who
will be caring for you. The purpose of this session
is to acquaint you with the role of each team
member and to learn about the stem cell program.
We also provide a minister, who is a member
of our staff, and offers spiritual support should
you desire it. Further, we offer a variety of
patient and family support services that may
be helpful to you.
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